


New Beginnings

by pinkmoogle



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Fluff, Light Angst, Romance, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-23
Updated: 2017-02-23
Packaged: 2018-09-26 03:38:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9860738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkmoogle/pseuds/pinkmoogle
Summary: In the midst of Insomnia's laborious rebuild, Gladio finally decides on a date to host his wedding ceremony. Given the city's lack of proper resources, it's up to his close-knit circle to take responsibility for the preparations - even if it means partnering up with one another to ensure efficiency and organization.Ignis has been tasked with the food and Prompto has been tasked with the photography, but who knew that the King of Lucis would be tasked with helping you retrieve the gladiolus flower for the reception's centerpieces?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KumoVII](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KumoVII/gifts).



> YEEEOOWWWZZA. WHERE DO I BEGIN?
> 
> First and foremost, this little jewel was written SOLELY for my beta, Peggy. She's a sucker for older!Noctis, and with as much as she's been there for me through my struggles, mental breakdowns, ups and downs, I felt as though she deserved to have a story tailored to something of her specific choosing. I hope that you enjoy it, you wonderful soul. ♡
> 
> In case there's any confusion in the tags, this story is set in an AU. Rather than sacrificing himself, Noctis lives to rule a rehabilitating Insomnia. The deaths of characters prior to this, however, have not changed. Unfortunately.
> 
> HOWEVER, I truly hope that everyone enjoys it, regardless. No smut here, guys. Just humor, fluff, romance and... new beginnings? ;)

“So, you gonna come over tonight and help me sketch out some ideas for the wedding invitations? I was thinking that we could do something floral. Not with flowers, but with vines, maybe? I think that would look nice...”

Pushing out a sigh, you allowed your body to fall lax atop the ladder that you stood on, elbows bending to better support the paintbrush that you held in one hand and the tin that you held in the other as you cast a glance down at Iris from over your shoulder. “Isn’t that Holly’s responsibility?” You inquired with a feigned scowl, a single eyebrow lifting in curiosity when the brunette gave a shallow scoff in response. “She  _is_ the bride, Iris.”

“She’s so busy with other things around Insomnia that when it comes time to actually _make_ the invitations, there won’t be enough time. She’ll have to settle on something plain, and the  _last_ thing that this wedding is going to be is _plain_. I refuse to see it happen. My brother deserves the best, even when it comes to the invitations.”

There was no need for a rebuttal. With the way that she crossed her arms against her chest and stared up at you from behind a stray lock of her hair, you knew that nothing could possibly convince her to step down from her persistent desire to take control of (yet another) factor involving Gladio’s wedding. Having already taken on the responsibility of clearing and cleaning the desired chapel as well as embellishing Holly’s hair and makeup on the day of, Iris _needed_ more. She wanted everything to be organized and planned for perfection, and despite Gladio’s pleas to share the liability with the others, she kept finding ways to take over more and more of the preparations - starting with the invitations. While Holly would likely relinquish the task if Iris were to only ask, the younger Amicitia didn’t feel the need to even do  _that_ much, for the groom-to-be was her own flesh and blood; if _anyone_ should be in charge of organizing a wedding, it should be family. It was an unspoken rule. Holly would come to understand, one way or another.

“Fine,” you curtly concluded, directing your attention back toward the drywall before resuming the leisurely strokes of your paintbrush with an outstretched arm. “It’ll have to be after the conference, though.”

You didn’t need to look at her to know that Iris had dropped her forehead into her palm, head shaking from left to right as she silently scolded herself for being forgetful with something so important. Earlier that week, Gladio had rallied everyone together near the Citadel after another strenuous, taxing day of labor to suggest a weekend meeting, where everyone would dissertate and come to terms with their assigned responsibilities for the wedding as well as take on more, if necessary. With the citizens still gradually returning to Insomnia, the usual and customary streetside businesses had yet to fully reopen - thus leaving the nuptial commitments to the friends of the couplet themselves. As if Iris’ insistence for full control hadn’t been obvious enough, there was still extreme disorganization and confusion in the group, regardless — it was why Gladio felt the need to arrange the meeting in the first place; to ensure efficiency in the planning process and see to it that _everyone_ played an equal part amongst the sea of tasks that still needed to be tended to.

There was only twelve days left until the wedding, after all.

“He doesn’t even need to have a meeting! It’s a waste of time. If he’d just let me oversee everyth—”

“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, Iris. All of those preparations would drive you insane,” you calmly explained, sinking the bristles of your brush into the can of paint before sapping the excess against the rim and resuming your strokes against the drywall in front of you. “We all need each other’s help in order for everything to go smoothly. Teaming up like this will make things less stressful.”

“What about you?” She asked. “Have you taken on anything yet?”

You shook your head. “No... Not yet. Kind of been waiting to see who all claims what, y'know?”

“Well, I’ll try and talk to Holly tonight about forking over the wedding invitations. You and I can work on those together, if you want?”

“That’d be nice. I’ll see if Gladio decides on anything else for me, as well. He knows how much I enjoy decorating, so if I’m lucky, he’ll let me work on the centerpieces for the ceremony…”

Your comment had made Iris snort, and with a frown, you stopped painting to shoot her a skeptical glare from over your shoulder. Her face was twisted in amusement, eyebrows pulled together against the pressure of a suppressed laugh before she succumbed and erupted in a fit of giggles. “'Enjoy decoration', huh? Is that why you’re painting the walls that _awful_ shade of blue?”

With a scoff, you indignantly dropped your jaw, gaze quickly shifting from Iris’ pink cheeks to the cornflower-blue paint that still glistened against the drywall. “What are you talking about? It’s _not_ awful!”

“It _is_ , (Y/N)! I know that the hardware store didn’t have a whole lot left to choose from, but you could have literally chosen _anything_ else for this building and it would have been better than _that._ ”

“This is an ice cream parlor! What other color were you expecting?!”

“For the sake of Etro, _not that one!_ ”

For the past two weeks, you and Iris had settled on the repair of one of Insomnia’s most notorious sweet shops — _The Frozen Spoon_. Having been one of the only buildings in the city’s cultural district that still remained intact, it had been Iris’ sole desire to restore it to it’s original splendor — for a good majority of her adolescence was spent within it’s vinyl-clad booths alongside her older brother when school had let out for the day, small digits clutching at the traditional cherry-red spoon as she indulged in her usual cup of vanilla-bean ice cream sprinkled with chocolate chips and crushed peanuts while her legs dangled carelessly from her seat. She’d loved that place… Even though she refused to try any other flavors outside of her cherished vanilla-bean, she’d still loved it. She loved the decoration, the ornamentation. She loved the bright lights of the arcade games that chirped and flashed in the back of the building, near the restrooms. She loved the lights that dotted the ceiling. Everything about it had been seared into her memory, and nostalgia was always quick to claim her whenever she thought back to spending so much time inside of it. While they could have easily transformed the building into a shop or a miniature warehouse throughout the city's rebuild, Iris had downright refused it.

It deserved to be  _The Frozen Spoon_ , and nothing else — even if it’d be weeks before any chilled treats could rightfully be served from behind the counter.

While Gladio wasn’t entirely pleased that the two of you had taken to mending the aesthetics of an ice cream parlor over the deteriorating edifices along Main Street, he knew better than to argue. If it meant that much to his sister, he had no right to speak against her wishes. He just felt for _you_ in the respect that you were inadvertently dragged along to participate in the process.

As if it bothered you.

Six years ago, during the fourth year of the Starscourge, your squadron of Hunters had been dispatched to the Coernix Bypass to eliminate a hoard of Ice Bombs when a Behemoth King had emerged from your six and incapacitated the entire group with something as swift and simple as the swipe of a paw. One by one, the beast picked off your unit while you retreated to a patch of elevated grass to nurse a compound fracture on your left forearm. After one-handedly fumbling with your handheld transceiver, you successfully managed to mash a few buttons and signal for help from a nearby fleet, though with the way the Behemoth suddenly turned and advanced toward your position — lips drawn back in a louring snarl as strings of saliva and blood steadily trilled from it’s pointed incisors — you were certain that they wouldn’t make it to you in time…

But in the midst of your fear and anxiety, you still remembered the way that Iris had punctually emerged from the darkness, instantaneously launching herself onto the back of the beast before driving a pair of twin daggers into the leathered flesh of it’s neck before dragging them horizontally across the span of it and ultimately ending it’s life in order to save yours.

That was the day that you’d officially met Iris “The Daemon Hunter” Amicitia, and as choice would have it, the two of you had been inseparable ever since — both on and off of the battlefield.

It had been through _her_ that you came to be eventually acquainted with the late King’s royal regiment; a motley crew of three that had, once upon a time, acted as Noctis Caelum’s closest allies as well as his treasured companions. While his troubling disappearance had driven an impervious wedge between them, they still found time to overlook their grief in order to work together on assignments issued out of Hammerhead from Cindy Aurum — a tertiary counterpart to you and Iris.

Between the six of you, alongside Talcott Hester and Cor Leonis, life in Leide had been tolerable. You spent your days travelling to the illuminated sanctuary of Lestallum, cutting down as many fiends and beasts along the way before turning around and doing it all again on the way back. In the evenings, Ignis would prepare supper out of the supplies gathered — having to settle on slabs of meat from the wildlife that still thrived alongside fruits and vegetables that had to grow beneath HID bulbs. Without the sun, natural rations were scarce… He’d always made due with what he had, though. You’d quickly learned that Ignis was stubborn with nutrition like that.

After Noctis had miraculously returned and restored the light to Eos by executing Ardyn Izunia and taking back his rightful place on the throne, everything had changed. With haste, life poured back into the capital of Lucis — survivors from every corner of the countryside volunteering for it’s arduous rebuild alongside the returned King himself…

And that was two months ago. The progress that had been made since then was phenomenal, though by no means was the city close to being fully restored; it likely wouldn’t be for many, many more years to come, of course, though the desire to see it through thrived in the hearts of everyone. It was the sole reason why no one stopped working… Every day of every week, people were occupied with _something_ ; whether it be clearing the streets of debris, rebricking a demolished building or planting shrubbery around the Citadel, _everyone_ had tasked themselves to Insomnia’s rehabilitation — morning, evening and all hours in-between.

It wasn’t until a certain point of progress was reached, however, that Gladio and Holly of Lestallum’s _EXINERIS_  had decided on announcing a scheduled date for their wedding — having been “engaged” for two years without the means of executing a legitimate ceremony until _after_ the light had been restored, though while the publication itself had brought about an immense sense of excitement between everyone in the close-knit circle, the organization of the entire thing had been the very epitome of a disaster.

You could only hope that Gladio’s anticipated meeting would set the record straight on a number of responsibilities, though given your knowledge of Iris and her notorious Amicitian stubbornness, it wouldn’t be quite as simple as you hoped it’d be.

* * *

The first thing that Gladio did upon returning to Insomnia was restore the destruction that befell his childhood home, and though plastic liners, ladders, buckets and various tools _still_ littered the floors and hallways, the walls themselves had been entirely reconstructed and repaired into that of an actual building again. Holly had done what she could with decoration, though everything had been as far from extravagant as one could manage after a ten-year Starscourge; the living room had two couches, both different in size and color, with two tables and a floor rug that she’d carted from her original home in Lestallum as well as several floor lamps and a variety of dissimilar wall decor.

While the infrastructure itself wasn’t as aesthetically pleasing as it once was, it was still a home — albeit a motley one — and ever since returning to the city, the group often sought repose within it at the end of each working day. Supper was never enjoyed in solitude, per Ignis’ insistence, but above all else, everyone had gotten so accustomed to the other’s company that it would be strange and unorthodox to spend time elsewhere.

And you knew that it was because of King Noctis’ return.

In all the years that you’d known Gladio, Ignis, Prompto _and_ Iris, you’d never seen them beam like they had on the day that Talcott brought him back to Hammerhead — unkempt, unshaven and clad in the same attire that he’d last been seen in ten years prior. After slaying Ardyn Izunia and taking back Insomnia, things only escalated… Everyone was _happy_ again — genuinely, inexorably _happy —_ and all of it was because of _him_.

This had been the life that they’d always wanted, and thanks to your connection with Iris, you got to watch it unfold before your very eyes. On top of that, you got to see a side to all of them that you’d never seen before… And for the first time in your life, you got to actually _meet_ and _befriend_ the King himself.

He’d been just as how they’d all described him; while still laidback and socially awkward, he wasn’t as drowsy or snarky as he had been in his youth. If anything, he’d become more staunch and confident — wearing his official title with monolithic maturity while still being able to disregard his royalty in the company of his friends, and when he did, you couldn’t have possibly been more fascinated…

He was wonderful… He was kind, he was funny. The way that his cheeks yielded to the spread of each smile to the way he sounded when he threw his head back to laugh at Prompto (always Prompto), _he was wonderful_. Although you’d seen some of the sharpshooter’s photographs from the group’s earlier days, you couldn’t help but prefer the more rugged features of Noctis’ adulthood — _especially_ the beard.

Even _if_ Gladio poked fun at him for never being able to surpass that of his, it still suited him. It suited him very, very well.

However, your fascinations with the King aside, Noctis had been (surprisingly) quick in taking to _you_ , as well. He inquired about your life before the fall and how you’d come to work for Meldacio as well as meet Iris, but after indulging in such lengthy and time-consuming explanations, his interests in learning more about you, as a person, quickly surfaced. He’d ask about your favorite colors, your favorite places… Having lived in Lestallum prior to the Starscourge, he wanted to know of your favorite streetside dishes. After disclosing your love for the Tostwell Grill’s Spicy Skewers, he’d even made a promise to consult with Ignis about possibly remaking them.

It was… nice. Your friendship with Noctis was different than your friendships with everyone else. While banter was playful and often spirited with them, it was more demure and... gentle, with him. Almost compassionate. While you knew better than to think anything other than companionship, you couldn’t help but daydream about possibly engaging in something… more?

How foolish was that?

He was the King of Lucis. Had it not been for Iris, you never would have known him — never would have known _any_ of them. What would someone like him want with someone like _you,_ anyway? You weren’t royalty… Nowhere close, in fact. You’d been born and raised within Lestallum’s cliffside heat, and up until the blight, you’d done nothing but attend school and assist your grandfather with weapon forgery at his shop in the northeastern corner of the city. You could even recall a time where the Crown Prince himself had paid the shop a visit, though given your schedule, you’d been unable to seize an opportunity to officially make his acquaintance. What warmed your heart about Noctis even more, however, was his immediate recognition of your kukris — fashioned by your grandfather himself and given to you right before you’d left the city with the hunters.

“ _I'd recognize Randolph’s work anywhere,_ ” he’d commented, turning over the worn blades in appreciative scrutiny. “ _Pretty cool that he was your grandfather. Such a small world._ ”

Even as the two of you sat beside one another in Gladio’s living room that night at his mandatory “meeting”, you’d managed to slip into easy conversation. Iris had joined in, as well, nibbling thoughtfully on a baby carrot from a vegetable tray that Ignis had carefully prepared and set out for serving on one of the coffee tables. Jokingly, the younger Amicitia would offer him a grape tomato from the assortment before snorting in amusement whenever he’d crinkle his nose and turn his chin away in disgust.

“They really aren’t as bad as you think,” you casually explained, reaching forward to grasp at one of the carrots before dragging it through the saucer of ranch and extending it to him in contribution. “Just one bite? It’s way better with ranch dressing.”

He wasn’t amused. His cerulean eyes shifted between you and the bright orange vegetable, the crinkle of his nose still vastly apparent as he considered your offer with great reluctance. With a careful, deliberate swallow, he finally reached forward — accepting the carrot from you and bringing it close to his face for observation before taking a small, careful bite of the end coated in ranch and chewing cautiously.

And his facial expression spoke volumes while he did it. Though he managed to swallow the bite, he didn’t indulge in the rest — instead leaning forward to set it down onto the coffee table before rubbing his fingers across his pants to rid himself of the remnants.

But he’d taken a bite.  _He’d refused the grape tomato from Iris, but had taken a bite of the carrot from you._

“Are you offering him a vegetable?” Ignis would guess from the other side of the room, the corners of his own mouth pulling back into a smirk. They’d told you once how Noctis had never taken a liking to that of vegetables, and even now, it amused you to see that even after a ten-year disappearance, such a habit had yet to break. Based on his hearty chuckles, however, it seemed to have amused the adviser a great deal more. “I should have guessed it,” he spoke, more to himself than to anyone else, and after hoisting himself back to his feet, he carefully made his way to the kitchen. “I’ll retrieve other snacks that agree with your palate, your Majesty.”

Noctis shifted at your side. “I told you that you don’t need to call me that.”

“Right you are. Apologies, _Highness_.”

You pushed out a quick huff of laughter, lips rolling together to quickly silence yourself before the King turned his head to look at you with raised eyebrows. “You all find this funny, do you?”

“You’ve _got_ to get used to it, Noct. It’s who you are now, remember? Embrace it.” Iris extended her arms for emphasis, facial expression hardening into one of seriousness as she imitated Noctis’ position as King of Lucis.

Before anyone in the room could respond with similar mimics, Gladio curled his paw around the curve of Iris’ shoulder, silencing her with a gentle squeeze before addressing everyone with a clear of his throat. “Enough jokes. We have a lot of planning to do tonight, and the last thing that I want is for my King and Best Man in my wedding to exile my little sister because of what a little shit she’s being.”

Iris responded by driving a fist into his chest. “I was just playing around!”

“Which is why I should make you wait tables, right?”

Her expression was one of horror, jaw obscenely dropping while her honeyed eyes widened to the point of being almost comical. “ _You wouldn’t dare._ ”

“Try me,” came Gladio in response, and with a huff, Iris crossed her arms against her chest and fell back into her seat with a scowl. It wasn’t until she received a reassuring wink from Noctis, however, that she visibly relaxed. Out of everyone in the close-knit circle, Gladio had to have been the one to take Noctis’ position as King the most seriously. It was with great reluctance that he agreed to eliminate terms of royalty when addressing him, though that didn’t mean that he believed it appropriate to treat him with anything other than the utmost respect — even in the midst of playful jokes. While Noctis didn’t usually find it to be as big of a deal as Gladio typically made it out to be, he knew better than to argue with his Shield.

Like Iris, Gladio had harbored the same hereditary stubbornness of his Amicitian bloodline.

After everyone had situated themselves inside of the living room — taking up residence on the floor and the couches with plates full of both vegetables and sliced apples (again, thanks to Ignis) — the _real_ topic of conversation had been brought to everyone’s attention; _who’s in charge of what, and who wants to take on more._ Immediately, Iris’ left hand shot into the air before her right pointed over at Holly. “I’d like to take over Holly’s responsibility of crafting the wedding invitations,” she blurted, smiling sheepishly when Holly quirked an inquisitive brow in response. “Only because you’re so busy, and I’ve _always_ wanted to make wedding invitations. I have so many ideas!”

“But you’re already doing my hair and makeup, aren’t you? Won’t that overload you?”

“Oh, trust me, I plan on —“

“If you take on the wedding invitations, Iris, that’ll have to be it,” came Gladio. “Aside from preparing the church, taking care of Holly and making the invitations for several dozen people, you won’t have time for anything else.”

“Well, I was also thinking that (Y/N) and I could do some of the cooking, too?” At that moment, you felt her elbow your forearm in encouragement — as if something as simple as an agreeing nod of your head would sway Gladio into giving Iris more responsibility, but the second he turned his gaze over to you for confirmation, he knew that it’d been a false statement.

“No,” he concluded, ignoring the way that his sister’s face dropped for a second time that night. “Holly’d like for Ignis to handle the food preparations. I wouldn’t have it any other way, myself. If he decides that he needs help in the kitchen, Iris, you can assist. What say you, Iggy? Sound good?”

The strategist gave a curt nod in response. “Indeed. I think I’ll do well in managing everything on my own, though if trouble were to arise, I’ll seek you out, Iris. May need your help with some measurements. Holly, do we know of potential food selections, or?”

“Workin’ on it,” Holly replied. “Once I get a better idea, we can sit down and go over everything later on.”

“Perfect.”

“Now,” Gladio continued, “I know that this isn’t going to be some big, extravagant ordeal, but I’d still like to have photo —”

Obnoxiously, Prompto cleared his throat, lips drawing back into an impish grin as he craned his chin and eyeballed Gladio before he could even finish his statement.

“—graphs taken for memory’s sake. I think that it’d mean —“

The sharpshooter cleared his throat again, only this time, it made Gladio fight at a smile.

“— a lot to have this kind of moment captured on film.”

“Who’d you have in mind for the photographer, big guy?” Prompto teased, extending a single thumb and discreetly angling it towards himself with a not-so-subtle wink.

Gladio’s jaw tightened as he held his breath to keep from laughing, but after several unsuccessful seconds at maintaining a collected composure, he finally gave in to the humor. “I don’t even need to say it, do I?"

“Nope. You _really_ don’t.”

Unlike your initial expectations, the planning process had been relatively pleasant and complacent. One by one, responsibilities were administered to those who were most suitable for it, and despite Iris’ subtle pouts and spry attempts at interruption, she eventually came to accept what she’d already been given and instead settled on assisting her brother with suggestions. Though she’d been in charge of aesthetically preparing Holly on the day of the wedding, she was _not_ the Maid of Honor — such a title was already claimed by Holly’s younger sister, Clara — but given the girl’s lack of experience in cosmetics, the responsibility had ultimately fallen to Iris… Who couldn’t have been more excited about it, of course.

The Marshall would act as the ceremony Officiant, against his better judgement. While not a religious man, he was the closest thing to a “father figure” that Gladio had — having been a close friend and ally to Clarus himself as well as Gladio’s primary instructor in the early days of his combat training. He’d been there throughout a good majority of the Shield’s life, and if he was being honest with himself, Gladio wouldn’t be happy with anyone else leading something as important and sentimental as his wedding ceremony other than Cor.

Holly, of course, had been tasked with attire — per her own request. Though she’d be wearing a tailored gown that her mother had worn on _her_ wedding day, she still had to select the dresses for her bridal party of three — Clara, Iris and Cindy. Had you dedicated yourself in spending more time with her, you’d undoubtedly be a quadrant counterpart to the bridal faction, but the fact that you weren’t hadn’t been too upsetting. Holly was nice, but her personality didn’t quite align with yours like it did with the others. You were, however, tasked with accompanying them to Lestallum to provide a “feminine” opinion on the style, color and fit of the dresses inside of the streetside shops. _Had_ you cared about not being a bridesmaid, that’d have been a slap in the face — but given that you truly hadn’t, you saw it as nothing more than a day to be spent with the girls. Lunch, shopping… If anything, that sounded exciting.

Talcott had been tasked with music for the reception after the ceremony. Seeing as how new music hadn’t been created for the past ten years, Cindy offered to assist him with the selections, for prior to the Starscourge, he’d only been a young boy. _“I know of a few good songs that Grandpa used to listen to_ ,” he’d commented, expression wistful and content as he recalled the memory of his grandfather. “ _He’d play them all the time until it got annoying… But I’d love to play them again. I really would._ ”

Everything else had been relatively easy to assign. Alongside photography, Prompto had been tasked with retrieving proper linens, plates and cutlery for all of the tables. He was to check the abandoned shops throughout Insomnia first before branching off to other towns outside of the city, but he was happy to commence with either option. Gladio, of course, had tasked himself with the attire of he and his groomsmen. Like you and the girls would do for Holly’s bridal dresses, he and the guys would make a separate trip to Lestallum in order to do the same thing. Other odds and ends, such as transportation for the newlyweds after the wedding as well as honeymoon arrangements, was left to Cindy - who’d promise to cook up something “real special”.

Everything was coming along nicely.

“We just need…” Holly quietly trailed off, dragging the butt of her pen down a checklist that she’d composed and scribbled on throughout the duration of the meeting before stopping abruptly at one bulleted item in particular. “... centerpieces. Oh, God… The centerpieces. What were we thinking to do with that? Flowers? Lights, maybe?”

Gladio paused for a moment, honeyed orbs shifting from one person to the next before ultimately coming to rest on _you_. “(Y/N),” he said, your eyebrows raising in response when he cocked a coy grin in your direction. “Iris had mentioned that you like to decorate. Would you want to be in charge of the centerpieces?”

 _You_? _Really_?

“Yes!” You exclaimed, leaning forward from your seated position on the couch to nod your head fervently. “Absolutely!”

“You’ll have free reign with it, obviously. Not too certain on what we’d like, but you have a good eye. You can pull it off.”

Your heart soared, and inwardly, you thanked your lucky stars for having someone like Iris as your best friend. While she was sour one minute with her jokes and her jests about your personal interests, she was sweet the next, putting in a good word for you to her brother in hopes that you’d be tasked with something that you _loved_ to do. You took that moment to glance over in her direction, smiling as wide as your cheeks would physically allow before nodding your head in gratitude. As to be expected, she replied with a lighthearted roll of her eyes before mouthing _“just don’t make them that horrible blue"_.

“Well, regardless of the style, I’d still like for fresh flowers to be apart of it…” Holly interjected, her gaze shifting from that of her paper and over toward Gladio. “Specifically the gladiolus flower… I think that’d be fitting, don’t you think?”

“Oh, Six! That would be so _cute!_ ” Iris keened with clutched palms, and Gladio shot her a look of pure indignation before heaving out a sigh.

“I guess if that’s what you want...”

Holly nodded her approval along with Iris, both girls completely and totally swooned by the idea. “Oh, it is. It certainly is.”

“Then so be it. Finding them fresh would be challenging, though… You sure you’d want to go out and pick them yourself, (Y/N)?”

You shrugged a shoulder, lower-lip jutting to express your indifference. “I don’t really mind, to be honest. It won’t be an issue for me. Just tell me where they grow, and I’ll get it done.”

Gladio contemplated your words carefully, his chin dropping into an open palm as his gaze descended to the floor in concentration. Part of you had expected him to be comfortable with your solo venture, for the past six years, he’d watched you cut down daemons in the dark with nothing but the company of your own weapons, though the other part of you had expected his customary vigilance to take precedence over the situation and prohibit the trip altogether. You hoped against the latter, of course— teeth sinking into the tissue of your cheek as the moment of silence extended into several before the Shield finally came to a conclusion.

“Noct,” he addressed suddenly. Noctis lifted his chin in regard, eyes meeting those of his companion before Gladio angled his chin over toward you before continuing. “I didn’t want to ask _anything_ of you because of what you already have on your plate, but… would you consider going with (Y/N) to the Wetlands to pick these? The last thing that I want is for something to happen —"

“It’s just to pick flowers, Gladio,” you tried to assure, palms splayed in hopes of stopping him from fully extending the invitation to Noctis. It was completely unnecessary to ask the _King_ of Lucis to chaperone you on something as silly as a trip to a field in the Wetlands, and rather than feeling flattered by such a gesture, you couldn’t help but feel embarrassed by it. If it was something more dangerous — something that required hiking to the top of Ravatough, perhaps — you could understand. _But it was a field_. A field full of Voretooths, Garulas and potential Coeurls. It wasn’t anything that you couldn’t handle, that was for sure. It definitely wasn’t something that required the attention of the King. If _anything,_  Prompto could be the one to tag along. _Prompto could do it._

But what Noctis had to say next completely disintegrated that hope.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll go.”

Gladio sighed. “I really appreciate that, man. You never know what’s out there anymore. Even though the sun makes it safer, you can’t be too sure.”

“That’s —” you stammered, hand instinctively descending to curl around the King’s kneecap as you turned to address him at your side. “That’s  _completely_ unnecessary, your Majesty. I can do it on my own! You don’t need to waste your time with something so silly as helping me pick flowers. Honestly, that’s… Come on. That’s just comical.”

Immediately, Noctis’ eyes narrowed — a grin pulling at the corner of his mouth before he hardened his expression into one of feigned seriousness. “Because you just referred to me as ‘majesty’, it’s settled. I’m definitely going.”

You suppressed a groan, hand loosening from his knee and drawing back into your lap just as you tossed your head back and pushed out a sigh of defeat. From your peripheral, you could see that the King’s eyes were still on you — his expression one of genuine amusement before his drew his attention back over to Gladio to give him a cursory nod of consent. You, on the other hand, had _not_ consented to something so ridiculous. Of all the people to _ask_ , it just _had_ to be Noctis — the _last_ person that needed to be roped into espousal affairs. He had a city to rebuild, to rule. As nice as the idea of spending one-on-one time with Noctis was, it was unbelievable. However, you knew better than to truly retaliate with your denials whilst in his presence. Friend or not, he was still the King — and as Gladio had so brazenly put it in the past, he deserved only the utmost respect.

And you would give it to him, regardless of how you felt. Even _if_ such a feeling was mixed with a combination of both nervousness and excitement...

The rest of the meeting hadn’t lasted but for another twenty minutes or so; the final preparations and responsibilities having been jointly tasked to those who still had the means to take on more. Everyone had been reasonably pleased with what they’d been given thus far, and judging by the newfound organization amongst the group, you knew that there was no possible way that Gladio and Holly’s wedding would be anything less than extraordinary. It was all just a matter of time.

With twelve days to go until the wedding itself, you were due to leave Insomnia and make for the Wetlands the day before in order to fetch a fresh bushel of the gladiolus flower — with King Noctis Caelum in tow. While the ten days in between would allow you ample time to get over the silliness of the whole ordeal, you _still_ couldn’t help but harbor immense excitement for the field trip as a whole.

The amount of time that you’d spent with Noctis since returning to the city could be regarded with the fingers on one hand, though not once had those encounters been “alone”. You were always in the company of the others, whether they were in the same room or on the other side of the building, but nonetheless, _this_ would be the first time that you’d be in his presence without the company of anyone else. You weren’t quite sure what exactly to make of it, but if one thing was for certain…

You were eager to find out.

**Author's Note:**

> THIS STORY IS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT THAN MY USUAL STYLE, but I'm having A LOT of fun writing it. It's usually so difficult for me to get into the mindset of a story set in an AU such as this one, but the more that I wrote of this, the more pleased that I became with what came forth. 
> 
> <3 Feedback is, of course, highly encouraged and appreciated!


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